by Fresh off a dramatic duel at the U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau both posted underwhelming opening rounds at the season’s final major. McIlroy opened with a 78 (+7), his worst opening round in a major since he shot 79 in the first round at Royal Portrush in the 2019 Open. DeChambeau opened with a 76 (+5), a poor showing but one that could’ve been worse after a rocky +5 start through six holes. Not great for two of the pre-tournament favorites.
Despite entering in strong form, McIlroy showed struggles in every area of the game. He hit a couple of loose tee shots, gave himself few legitimate looks at birdie, hit mediocre shots from around the greens, and didn’t make a putt outside of 10 feet. Through seven holes, McIlroy had played solidly enough and sat at even par. Then his round began to unravel. On the Postage Stamp eighth hole, he left his first attempt from the right green side bunker in the trap and went on to make double bogey. He then flared a tee shot out of bounds on the 11th hole en route to another double bogey.
Following two more bogeys on the way in, McIlroy signed for 78, 13 back of the lead, a surmountable but highly improbable deficit to overcome. The tournament is not over, but barring a special performance over the next few days, McIlroy will have to wait nine months for his next opportunity to silence the noise surrounding his major drought. That would would be a disappointing reality for a player who entered this tournament with a solid chance to win.
Photo by Luke Walker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
As for DeChambeau’s struggles, evidently equipment was the only issue. Throughout the round, Bryson continually looked at his club face after misstruck shots. According to DeChambeau’s post-round comments, today’s struggles were primarily equipment-driven. “It’s something equipment related…I’m not at 190 ball speed, so particularly when I’m hitting driver or 3-wood, those clubs are built for around that speed…so colder, firmer conditions the golf ball is not compressing as much. So it’s probably something along those lines.”
DeChambeau has undergone multiple evolutions as a professional golfer. With a victory at Pinehurst No. 2, he proved his ability to win on a completely different type of golf course than the tree-lined, thick rough setups he’d won on previously. But to date, he has struggled more at Open Championships than any at other major. He’s only finished in the top 30 of one Open Championship, a T-8 at St. Andrews in 2022, a golf tournament in which the conditions were much milder than typical Open Championships.
A lot of golf remains to be played, but as things currently stand there’s a better chance Bryson will be headed home at the halfway point than contending late on Sunday. And as he looks ahead to preparing himself for the next major championship season, his ability to perform in cold, windy conditions will surely be a top priority.
This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. For more coverage of the Open Championship, visit our Open hub.
